The nightclubs of the 1980s and 1990s were often wild landscapes that attracted even stranger nocturnal animals.
The Club Kids, led by impresario Michael Alig, turned places like the Limelight into backdrops of drug- and techno- induced drama, while live music dens like the Village Gate presented stages to some of the great jazz musicians of the time.
But as with everything in the city, the scene is constantly changing, and looking through the rare images below is a reminder of how fleeting it is. These photos, spanning from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, give us glimpses of what it was like at such iconic clubs as the Limelight and Wetlands Preserve. Let the party begin.
Jimmy Ryan’s Dixieland club
John Keveanos and Matty Walsh stand outside the legendary Jimmy Ryan’s Dixieland club, at 154 East 54 Street in Manhattan, before it closed in 1983. (Dec. 22, 1983)(Credit: Newsday/ Dick Yarwood)
Tramps
Patrons enjoy drinks by the bar at Tramps on 21st Street on May 25, 1985.(Credit: Newsday / John Keating)
Palladium Dance Hall
A phone in the Kenny Scharf room at the Palladium Dance Hall in Manhattan as seen on June 25, 1985.(Credit: Newsday / Chris Hatch)
Palladium Dance Hall
A fresco on the ceiling of the Palladium Dance Hall in Manhattan as seen on June 25, 1985.(Credit: Newsday / Chris Hatch)
Shout Disco
Shout Disco, pictured here on its opening night on July 31, 1985, was a new club on West 43rd Street that catered to ’50s and ’60s rock-and-roll.(Credit: Newsday/ Jim Cummins)
Palladium Dance Hall
Legendary doorman Haoui Montaug stands with his assistant Yehjong Son to go over the guest list and to decide who will gain entry to the Palladium night club on Oct. 11, 1985.(Credit: Newsday / Ken Sawchuk)
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